Apple Set To Reveal iOS 9 Update Along With iPad Air 3 On Monday

For some, it’s an exciting time to be an Apple fan. For others, it’s a boring time. Apple may not be announcing the long-awaited MacBook Pro or the iPhone 7 at the “Let Us Loop You In” media event on Monday, but they will will reveal iOS 9.3. MacRumors has the news.

“iOS 9.3 is the biggest update to iOS 9 yet, introducing a new Night Shift feature that cuts down on blue light exposure in the evening for better sleep. For iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users, several apps have new Quick Actions in iOS 9.3.”

The article adds that the App Store, iTunes Store, Weather, Settings, Compass, and Health apps all get improved features when pressed on the Home screen. In the iOS update, pressing the Settings icon offers quick access to Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Battery settings.

Then, there is Apple’s new iPad Air 3, which — according to the Mirror — is a significant upgrade from the iPad Air 2.

“Monday’s event is supposedly going to play host to a new version of the iPad Pro — but this one will be have a regular 9.7-inch screen rather than the 12.9-inch of last year’s Pro,” says writer Jeff Parsons.

The article adds that leaked pictures of Apple’s new device confirm a number of features that have been confirmed for the tablet, including a three-pin “Smart Connector” port on the side. It also shows spaces for four speakers, which is an increase from the two on the iPad Air. 2.

Roger Cheng from CNET feels that Apple’s iPad Air 3 will make his iPad Air 2, which he purchased over the holidays, feel obsolete.

“So now, of course, Apple is expected to unveil an even newer 9.7-inch iPad just three months later. This iPad, which should be unveiled at the company’s Monday event, is likely to add a connector for a keyboard like the larger iPad Pro and to feature other upgrades such as compatibility with its stylus, the Apple Pencil. All of a sudden, I’ve got iPad envy again.”

Cheng feels that the new rumored iPad raises the possibility of a worrisome trend where Apple may update the iPad several times a year. After all, they just released the iPad Pro in November. He says that this forces consumers to deal with the more complex equation of when and which products they should buy.

There is some excitement over the new iPad Air 3 on Twitter.

I'm excited about iPad Air 3 #iPadAir3

— Tech1Tv (@Tech1Tv2) March 13, 2016

However, the latest iPad doesn’t seem to be causing the same excitement as previous ones — at least judging by the number of tweets. Even the iPad Pro had more people tweeting — positive and negative — last November. When the iPad Pro was finally released, it wasn’t the out-of-the-park hit that Apple had predicted.

It is thought that the release of the larger iPhone (first, the iPhone 6 Plus and then the iPhone 6s Plus) has taken away from the iPad market. Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 and 4 have also eaten into the iPad’s sales, since Microsoft’s device works as both a tablet and a laptop with a full desktop operating system (Windows 10). Unless the iPad Air 3 is spectacular and unique, Apple will have a difficult time turning their latest tablet into a big hit.

[Photo by Stephen Lam/Getty Images]